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Research & DevelopmentResearch & Development focuses on the environmental and energy issues, the range of clean energy sources available, providing information on energy efficient technologies, publications, market studies and white papers, including summaries of successful projects from individuals and organizations from around the globe.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) seeks to advance global security and prosperity in an era of economic and political transformation by providing strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decisionmakers. CSIS serves as a strategic planning partner for the government by conducting research and analysis and developing policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change. ENERGY PROGRAM OVERVIEWThe core mission of the CSIS Energy Program is to research emerging energy issues and deliver insightful analysis that educates and influences public policy. The Energy Program team is composed of individuals with a wide range of professional experience in the private and public sectors as well as firsthand regional expertise. These experts highlight key elements, opportunities and challenges in the changing geopolitical energy map of the 21st century and frame the debate over these issues in terms of relevant environmental, economic and political imperatives. With an emphasis on strategic forward-looking thinking, the Energy Program offers realistic recommendations that help policy makers appropriately address these issues.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION FUELSThe CSIS Energy Program and Global Strategy Institute with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are launching a meeting series to assess transportation fuels and vehicle technology, two important options for changing the demand pattern in the United States. Addressing increased demand can happen in a number of ways: conservation, public transportation, and new vehicles. Getting the most attention in policy circles is alternative transportation fuels. Rising demand is one of the principle concerns for looking at alternative energy sources, but increasingly environmental concerns, national security, and foreign policy concerns are drawing attention to these nonconventional alternatives. The much-mentioned hydrogen economy will not make sufficient inroads in the United States in the near-to mid-term to cause a significant reduction in the liquid fuels demand. Therefore, we expect that the number of alternative fuels for transportation will grow substantially in the coming years to meet growing demand and to replace petroleum-based gasoline. This increased demand may be met by increasing the fuels available for cars and trucks and by changing the technology of the vehicles people drive. Fuels may include: ethanol (including those from non-corn sources), biodiesel, synfuels, gas-to-liquids, coal-to-liquids, or other biomass options. The cars and trucks driven will expand on existing technologies: hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrids, natural gas, and flexible fuel vehicles. We anticipate that the fuel mix and the associated vehicles will become more diverse, and perhaps complicated, but will be based on the existing infrastructure used for gasoline today. This project will assess the feasibility for bringing new alternative fuels to market and the related investment and infrastructure challenges for these fuels in competing in the gasoline market. The project has held six sessions and will conclude in the Spring of 2007 with a summary report to follow.
OIL MARKET STUDY GROUPThe CSIS Energy Program initiated the Oil Market Study Group to create a forum for energy experts to discuss the oil market and related energy issues. The topic selected for each meeting is of a timely nature and of interest to analysts of the global oil market as well as those interested in the geopolitical implications of market developments.
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